Finding My Joy

Somewhere along the way I feel like I have lost my joy. I don't know when exactly it happened, but I wish I did so that I could know where to go back and get it. In certain ways I have lost my joy as a mother, as a wife and just as a person trying to live this thing we call life. Where do you find joy? 
This year one of my goals is to find my joy again. Not only for myself, but for those around me. Am I saying that I mope around every day like Cruella De'ville, always in my pj's unable to function? Of course not. I am saying though that I am certain that I am not as joyful as the Lord wants me to be. The good thing about this understanding is that because I am not where He wants me to be, I have no doubt that He will be my biggest fan through this journey.
Have you ever seen a person that just oozes joy and once you get over the "oh yeah, good for you" thoughts, you say "I'll have what their having". Why it so easy for some to find joy and for others it seems so hard? Maybe it's not that it is easy for the finders, but that it is the choice that they have chosen to make. What if we chose to choose joy instead of the default? 

Have you noticed that there are so many other feelings competing for our time that we run out of time for joy. Can I get an Amen when I say that it seems to me that our "dear friend" Stress just might be the biggest competitor of our joy? We involve ourselves in so many things that at the end of the day, there just isn't anything else to give and Joy was about 12 hours ago.

My 3 goals for finding joy this year are to do the following:

1. Slow My Roll - 
Learn to say no more than I say yes. I CANNOT DO IT ALL. God doesn't expect me to be Superwoman so why do I? By signing myself up for many things at one time, there is no way that I am doing all of those things 100%. It's not fair for me nor the person I am doing them for. Wouldn't it just be easier in the beginning to say "Thank you, but there isn't a way that I can give you 100% right now, but please think of me again." On the other hand, as the recipient of this news, we need to be mindful that just maybe when we hear that response coming our way that the person giving it to us is choosing joy as well.

2. Document the Everyday - 
I have started a Project Life Album. My hope is that by writing down everyday-ish what I am thankful for it will be much easier to see and choose joy on a daily basis. Sure there is going to be pain and sorrow along the way, but in those moments I can see where joy has surrounded it. 

3. Accept that I am not perfect - 
For me it is hard to come to grips with this statement. My whole life I have struggled with perfectionism. Not for the sake of others but for me. I was the child who would organize her Barbie house to the point of sitting on the edge of cray cray. Or, rewrite notes for class because my handwriting just wasn't on fire that day. Though I struggle with it, I'm not a toot my own horn kinda gal. I don't like attention and I get painfully awkward when given a compliment. So why do I struggle with it if I'm not trying to get something out of it? It is a wicked battle that I have with me, myself and I. We think that because we are women, wives and Momma's that this means the whole universe must sit on our shoulders. Why? Isn't that what God says he is in charge of? Hell-er! My hope is that I can rest peacefully at the end of the day knowing that I may not have gotten everything done that I hoped to do but what I did get done, I did it to amazing.

I challenge each of you to sit back and decide what has stolen your Joy and claim it back. Not just for you, but for those around you who deserve you to be joyous with them. Our days go so quickly and our years even quicker and I know that for me I don't want to get to my rocker one day and realize that I could have found joy so much sooner if I had only chosen to choose it. Be brave Ladies (and gentlemen), be courageous. We are in this thing called life together and it's best time we start helping each other through it.


Blessings, 
'Me'